William mason



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. MASON.

SAFETY LOCKING DEVICE RELEASED BY REGOIL.

No. 585,392. Patented June 29,1897.

X '7 mmm@\\\ Hillllllll! N (No Model.) 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2.

W. MASON. SAFETY LOOKING DEVICE RELEASED BY REGOIL.

No. 585,392. Patented June 29,1897.

UNiTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

\VILLIAM MASON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE VIN- CIIESTERREPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY LOCKING DEVICE RELEASED BY RECOIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 585,392, dated June29, 1897.

Application filed February 10, 1896. Serial No. 578,654. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM h/IASON, of New Haven, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inMagazine-Firearms; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of referencemarked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, andrepresent, 1n

Figure 1, an enlarged broken View, in side elevation, of the forward endof a gun-frame, showing my improved handle-locking block appliedthereto; Fig. 2, a similar but slightly less comprehensive view with theblock and action-bar removed; Fig. 3, a cross-sectional View on the linea b of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a detached view of the block, looking at theforward edge thereof; Fig. 4, a detached view of the block in insideelevation; Fig. 5, areverse plan view of the block; Fig. 6, abrokenview, in side elevation, of the gun, showing the block in its closedposition; Fig. 7, aplan View thereof; Fig. 8, a detached view, in sideelevation, of the action-bar and the sleeve by means of which the sameis connected with the sliding handle.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class ofmagazine-firearms in which the action mechanism is operated by a slidinghandle located in front of it and constructed and arranged to move backand forth in a line parallel or substantiallyparallel with thegun-barrel, the object being to provide simple and reliable means forpreventing the gun from being prematurely opened in the interval betweenthe falling of the hammer and the explosion of the cartridge by theexertion of a rearward draft on the part of the user upon the slidinghandle.

\Vith these ends in view my invention consists in the combination, withan action-bar, of a handle-locking block coacting with the 1 bar to lockthe same in its closed position, I and adapted to be thrown forward tounlock the bar by the recoil following the explosion j handle C mountedand sliding back and of a cartridge in the gun-barrel.

My invention further consists in certainf details of construction andcombinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed outin the claims.

In carrying out my invention, as herein shown, I employ a block A, whichfor want of a better term I shall call a handle-locking block. Thisblock is made heavier at its upper than at its lower end, whereby itsupper end is virtually weighted, so that the block will act with forceunder the influence of the recoil. At its lower end it is constructedwith an inwardly-projecting trunnion A, adapted to enter a bearing-holeB, formed in the left-hand side wall of the gunframe B, near the forwardend thereof. The said side wall of the gun-frameis constructed with ashallow recess B for the reception of the body of the block and with aslot B located at the lower end of the said recess and intersecting atits bottom the opening B formed in the gun-frame for the reception ofthe action-bar C, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The said slot B receivesand provides clearance for the locking-lug A formed upon the inner faceof the block.

A deep groove B having vertical side walls, leads out of the bottom ofthe recess B before mentioned and is provided for the reception of aretaining-flange A formed upon the lower face of the lug A and designedto hold the block against lateral movement without interfering with thefreedom of its oscillating movement on its trunnion A. The said lug Alocks the action-bar C in its closed position by entering alocking-notch C, Fig. 8, formed in the rear end of the lower edge of thebar, the forward end of the said edge being constructed with a longclearance-notch C the purpose of which will be described later on. Thesaid bar is furnished upon the outer face of its forward end with ahorizontally-arranged resetting-finger C which enters a flaring pocket Aformed to receive it in the forward edge of the block, whereby the blockis positively swung from its open position back into its closedposition.

The action-bar C is connected at its forward end, as shown, with asleeve C rigidly secured within the forward end of the sliding forthupon the tubular magazine D in a line parallel or substantially parallelwith the too longitudinal axis of the gun-barrel D, but the particularconstruction of the action-bar and its connection with the slidinghandle and the mounting of the same are immaterial and may be varied asdesired.

The block is constructed with a deep hole A entering it from itsupperend and formed for the reception of a yielding catch-pin E and thecoiled spring E, provided for exerting a constant effort to throw thesame outward, the said spring being located in the bottom of the hole AThe said pin is constructed with a stop-notch 6, receiving a stoppine,which limits the longitudinal movement of the pin. The outer end ofthe pin is beveled for coaction with a fixed retaining-pin F, set intothe gun-frame B in the upper portion of the recess B before mentioned,and as shown in Fig. 2. The block is adapted to clear this pin by itsprovision with a segmental clearance-slot A, entering it from the upperportion of its forward edge and extending rearwardly, so as to intersectthe upper portion of the hole A provided for the reception of theyielding catch-pin E and the spring E thereof. The extreme rear end ofthe action-bar is provided, as shown, with an operating-lug C whichenters a path camslot G, Fig. (5, formed in the left-hand side wall ofthe breech-closure locking-block G, which in this case has the functionof transferring the cartridges from a point in rear of the tubularmagazine to a point in rear of the gunbarrel.

It will be noticed by reference to Fig. 6 that when the gun is closedthe lug C is sufficiently cleared from the rear Wall of the inclinedforward portion of the path cam-slot G to allow the action-bar, andhence the sliding handle, to be moved back and forth within narrowlimits without disturbing the said locking-block G. This lost motion ofthe handle, as it may be called, permits that movement of the action-barrequired for the operation of the operating-block.

Having now described the construction in detail of my improved gun asherein shown, I will proceed to set forth the mode of its operation.

\Vhen the gun is fully closed, the parts 0ccupy the positions in whichthey are shown in Fig. 6, the locking-block being held in itsrearwardly-inclined closed position by means of the engagement of thebeveled upper end of the catch-pin with the rear face of the fixed pinunder the influence of the spring E. In this position of thehandle-locking block its locking-lug A is entered into the lockingnotchC of the action-bar, whereby the same, and consequently the slidinghandle, is firmly locked against rearward movement. It will thus be seenthat if after the gun is closed the 'user thereof exerts an untimelyrearward draft upon the sliding handle he cannot prematurely open thegun in the interval between the falling of the hammer and the explosionof the cartridge, for the recoil following the explosion of thecartridge 'is necessary to unlock the gun; butwhen the cartridgeexplodes and the recoil takes place the weighted upper end of thehandZ-elocking block is thrown forward against the tension of the springE, which yields and permits the catchpin to be shifted, so to speak,from engagement with the rear face of the fixed pin to engagement withthe forward face thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, which represents thehandlelocking block as being held in its forward or open position bymeans of the engagement of the beveled outer end of the catch-pin withthe forward face of the fixed pin. YVhen the block is thrown under 'theinfluence of the recoil, as set forth, from its rearwardly-inclinedclosed position to its open position, its locking-lug A is forceddownward out of the locking-notch C of the action-bar, which is thusunlocked and released for the rearward movement required for opening thegun. Then as the action-bar nears the limit of its rearward movement itsresetting-finger C enters the flaring pocket A of the handlelockingblock and, engaging with the bottom of the said pocket, forces the blockrearward into its closed position, causing the yielding catch-pin E tobe snapped, so to speak, under the fixed pin F and transferring theengagement of its beveled outer end from the front face of the pin tothe rear face thereof. As the handle-locking block is thrown back fromits open to its closed position its locking-lug A is lifted into theclearance-notch 0 Now at the beginning of the closing movement of thegun the long inclined rear wall of the clearance-notch C engages withthe lockinglug of the operating-block, whereby the same is slightlyswung forward, but not sufficiently to shift its catch-spring fromengagement with the rear face of the fixed pin to the forward facethereof. Vhen, however, the action-bar reaches the limit of its closedposition, the spring E of the catch-pin asserts itself, and by urgingthe beveled nose of the catch-pin against the rear face of the fixed pincauses the block to be swung back into its fullyclosed position, wherebyits locking-lug is reentered into the locking-notch of the actionbar, asbefore set forth.

It is apparent that in carrying out myinvention some change from theconstruction herein shown and described may be made. I would thereforehave it understood that I do not limit myself to such construction, buthold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairlyfall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a magazine-firearm, the combination with the frame and barrelthereof, of a sliding supporting and operating handle located forward ofthe frame and movable back and forth in a line parallel with thelongitudinal axis of the barrel, an action-bar extending -earwardly fromthe handle and adapted to be connected with the action mechanism of thearm, a handle-locking block pivotally connected at or near its lower endwith the gunframe upon the outer face of one of the side walls of thesame and near the forward end thereof, and adapted to coact with therear end of the bar and lock the gun closed, the said block being thrownforward to unlock the bar by the recoil following the explosion of acartridge in the barrel and locking means mounted in the block forretaining the same in its rear or closed position and in its front oropen position.

2. In a magazine-firearm, the combination with the frame and barrelthereof, of a sliding supporting and operating handle located forward ofthe frame, and movable back and forth in a line parallel with thelongitudinal axis of the barrel, an action-bar extending rearwardly fromthe handle, and adapted to be connected with the action mechanism of thegun, a handle-lockin g block coacting with the said action-bar to lockthe gun closed, and locking means mounted in the block for retainin gthe same in its rear or closed position, and in its front or openposition.

3. In a magazine-firearm, the combination with the frame and barrelthereof, of a sliding supporting and operating handle located forward ofthe frame and movable back and forth in a line parallel with thelongitudinal axis of the said barrel, an action-bar extending rearwardlyfrom the handle and adapted to be connected with the action mechanism ofthe gun, a handle-locking block coacting with the said action-bar tolock the gun closed, pivotally connected at its lower end with one ofthe side walls of the gun-frame near the forward end thereof, and havingan inward projection at a point above its pivot for coaction with theaction-bar which reciprocates adjacent to its inner face, and lockingmeans mounted in the block for retaining the same in its rear or closedposition and in its front or open position.

4:. In a magazine-firearm, the combination with an action-bar, of ahandle-locking block coactin g with the same to lock it in its closedposition, and constructed with a yielding catch-pin coacting with afixed pin or projeo tion on the frame to hold it in its rear or closedposition, and in its front or open position, substantially as described.

5. In a magazine-firearm, the combination with an action-bar provided atits forward end with a resetting-finger, ofa handle-locking blockcoacting with the bar to lock the same in its closed position, andadapted to be acted upon by the resetting-finger to be thrown back intoits closed position, substantially as described.

6. In a magazine-firearm, the combination with the frame thereof, of anaction-bar, and a handle-locking block coacting with the bar to lock thesame in its closed position, pivotally connected at its lower end withthe gunframe, and constructedwith a retaining-flange entering a slot inthe frame and holding the block against lateral movement withoutinterfering with its oscillating movement, substantially as described.

7. In a magazine-firearm, the combination with the action-bar thereof,of a handle-locking block pivotally connected at its lower end with thegun-frame, constructed with a locking-lug to coaet with the bar forlocking the same in its closed position, adapted to be acted upon by thebar for being shifted from its open to its closed position, and providedwith a yielding catch-pin having its outer end beveled and coacting witha fixed pin on the frame for retaining the block in its open and closedpositions, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MASON.

Witnesses:

DANIEL H. VEADER, A. W. EARLE.

